Flail assembly

ABSTRACT

A FAIL ASSEMBLY INCLUDES A PLURALITY OF GENERALLY USHAPED BRACKET MEMBERS SECURED THERETO. A GENERALLY RING-SHAPED SUPPORT MEMBER IS SWINGABLY SUPPORTED BY THE BIGHT PORTION OF EACH U-SHAPED BRACKET MEMBER, THESE SUPPORT MEMBERS EACH CARRYING A KNIFE MEANS. EACH BRACKET MEMBER IS DETACHABLY SECURED TO THE ROTOR, AND THE DETACHABLE SECURING MEANS ALSO SECURES A RE-   TAINER PLATE IN PLACE WITHIN THE BRACKET MEMBER. THE RETAINER PLATE IS GENERALLY L-SHAPED IN CROSS-SECTIONAL CONFIGURATION AND INCLUDES A LONG LEG AND A SHORT LEG, THE SHORT LEG SPANNING THE CENTRAL SPACE OF THE BRACKET MEMBER AND PREVENTING IMPROPER DISPLACEMENT OF THE SUPPORT MEMBER.

Jn. 19, 1971 i I J; w, HAUN ET AL 3,555,791

- FLAIL ASSEMBLY Filed July 8, 1968 United States Patent O 3,555,797 FLAIL ASSEMBLY John W. Hann, Charles T. Hoyt, and Joseph F. Prem, Brillion, Wis., assignors to Brillion Iron Works, Inc., Division of Beatrice Foods Co., Brillion, Wis., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 8, 1968, Ser. No. 743,061 Int. Cl. A01d 55/20 U.S. Cl. 56-294 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A flail assembly includes a plurality of generally U- shaped bracket members secured thereto, A generally ring-shaped support member is swingably supported by the bight portion of each U-shaped bracket member, these support members each carrying a knife means. Each bracket member is detachably secured to the rotor, and the detachable securing means also secures a retainer plate in place within the bracket member. The retainer plate is generally L-shaped in cross-sectional configuration and includes a long leg and a short leg, the short leg spanning the central space of the bracket member and preventing improper displacement of the support member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a flail assembly wherein a plurality of knife assemblies are swingably carried by the rotor of the assembly.

The knives of this type of ail assembly are swingably carried by a so-called D ring which is in turn swingably supported from bracket members secured to the rotor.

The knife assemblies including the knives and associated D rings are mounted for swinging movement, but means must be provided for preventing improper displacement of the D rings with respect to the bracket members. If these D rings become improperly canted or wedged within the bracket members in a certain manner, rotation of the flail assembly will often result in undesired damage and breakage of the D ring or the associated knife means and bracket members.

Accordingly, it is necessary to provide some sort of retainer means which will enable the D rings to swing with respect to the support brackets, and yet at the same time will prevent improper displacement of the D ring with respect thereto.

In the prior art, solid rivets have been placed in the bracket members for preventing the D ring from being improperly displaced. This type of construction is undesirable since if the bracket member or the knife assembly and its support means should be damaged, requiring replacement or repair thereof, it is necessary to remove the entire bracket and knife assembly from the rotor of the ail assembly. In other words, the knife assembly and the bracket member cannot be readily disassembled from one another so that they can be separately replaced when so desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the present invention, generally U-shaped bracket members are provided having a bight portion at the lower Patented Jan. 19, 1971 ICC end thereof which swingably supports the D ring support means from which the knife means is suspended.

The retainer means of the present invention comprises a rigid plate of generally L-Shaped cross-sectional configuration and including a long leg and a short leg.

The bracket members are detachably secured to the rotor, and the same means which detachably secures the bracket member to the rotor is also employed for detachably securing a retainer plate in operative relationship with each bracket member.

The retainer members are so oriented with respect to the bracket means that they allow the D rings to swing in the desired manner, and yet at the same time prevent the D ring from being improperly displaced.

A particular advantage of the present invention is the fact that the retainer means can be readily disassembled with respect to the associated bracket member, and accordingly the knife assembly and the bracket member can be separated in a quick and efficient manner when it is desired to replace or repair one or more of these components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the flail assembly according to the present invention includes a rotor indicated generally by reference numeral 10 and including an elongated tubular member 12 of generally circular cross-sectional configuration as seen most clearly in FIG. 2. A pair of at circular plates 14 and 16 are rigidly secured to opposite ends of tubular member 12.

Four elongated rigid bars 20, 22, 24 and 26 of rectangular cross-section are rigidly secured to the outer surface of tubular member 12 as by welding or the like and extend longitudinally throughout the length of tubular member 12. Members 20, 22, 24 and 26 extend radially outwardly of tubular member 12 and are disposed at equally spaced points therearound so as to be positioned approximately from one another.

A stub shaft 30 extends longitudinally of the rotor from the central portion of plate 16 at one end of the rotor. A stub shaft 34 extends longitudinally from the central portion of plate 14 at the opposite end of the rotor. Stub shaft 34 has a keyway 36 formed therein for operatively connecting the rotor with a suitable drive means in the usual manner.

Each of the elongated bars 20, 22, 24 and 26 has a plurality of longitudinally spaced holes formed therethrough for receiving detachable securing means for securing the bracket means hereinafter described to these members. As seen in FIG, l, bar members 20, 22 and 24 have holes 20', 22 and 24 respectively formed therethrough, it being understood that the remaining bar member 26 also has corresponding holes formed therethrough. In a typical example, each of the bar members may have eight holes formed therethrough at spaced portions therealong, these holes being staggered with respect to one another so that the knife assemblies will be suspended from the rotor in staggered relationship about the outer periphery thereof. It should be understood that any number of holes may be formed through the bar members, and in a smaller machine the bars may for example each have six holes formed therethrough.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the manner in which a bracket member, retainer member and knife assembly are supported from one of the bars of the rotor is illustrated. It should be understood that only one such arrangement has been shown in FIG. 1, and that in the completed flail assembly, 32 such bracket members along with associated retainer members and knife assemblies would be provided along the length of the rotor, these assemblies being spaced in accordance with the spacing of the holes formed through the bar members as aforedescribed.

The rigid bracket member 40 is of generally U-shaped cross-sectional configuration and includes a pair of opposite spaced parallel portions 42 and 44 joined by a bight portion 46 at the bottom of the bracket member. A space S is defined between the inwardly facing surfaces of the portions 42 and 44 of the bracket member. This space S is of a greater dimension than the width of the bar 24.

Holes 42 and 44 are formed through the upper parts of portions 42 and 44 of the bracket member. These holes receive a cap screw 50 which passes through the aligned holes 42 and 44', as well as one of the holes 24' formed through bar member 24. A lock washer 52 and lock nut 54 are disposed about the opposite end of cap screw, the lock nut being threaded on the threaded end of the cap screw. In a typical example, an initial tightening torque of 65 foot-pounds is applied to the lock nut 54.

Referring now to FIG. 4 of the drawings, a retainer means according to the present invention is illustrated. This retainer means comprises a rigid plate 60 formed of low carbon steel or the like and is of generally L-shaped cross-sectional configuration. The plate defines a first long leg 62 and a short leg 64 extending substantially perpendicularly to the long leg 62. A hole 66 is formed through the long leg 62 of the retainer plate.

Referring again to FIG. 3, the retainer plate is illustrated in its operative position. The long leg 62 of the retainer plate is disposed in abutting relationship with th portion 42 of the bracket member, the upper part of the long leg 62 being sandwiched between the portion 42 of the bracket member and the bar member 24.

In the assembled position, hole 66 of the long leg of the retainer plate is aligned with the holes formed through the bracket member 40 as well as the bar member 24, and the cap screw 50 extends through all of these aligned holes. Accordingly, the retainer plate is held in the operative relationship illustrated by the same detachable securing means which secures the bracket member to the rotor.

It will be noted that in the operative position as seen in FIG. 3, the short leg 64 substantially spans the space S between the portions 42 and 44 of the bracket member.

The knife assembly of the apparatus is indicated generally by reference numeral 70 and is of relatively conventional construction. This knife assembly includes a socalled D ring 72 which is of substantially D-shaped configuration as seen in FIG. 1, the opposite aligned ends 74 and 76 of the ring being supported by the bight portion of the bracket member and being spaced slightly from one another.

The knife means itself as indicated generally by reference numeral 80 includes a pair of separate curved members 82 having holes 84 formed therethrough which loosely receives the bottom part of the D ring in the usual manner. Each of the knife members 82 includes a sharp cutting edge 86 formed peripherally around the lower portion thereof. These members 82 can move independently of one another if an obstruction is hit.

It is apparent that the retainer means will allow the D ring support means 72 to swing freely with respect to the bight portion of the lower part of the bracket member. At the same time, the short leg 64 of the retainer plate is disposed in such a position that it is spaced only a small distance from the upper surface of the D rin'g support means as seen in FIG. 3 thereby preventing the D ring from being improperly displaced during the operation .of the apparatus. t

The retainer plate is detachably secured to the rotor and the bracket member by the same means which -detachably secures the bracket member in place. Accordingly, when the detachable securing means is removed, the bracket member and retainer plate can be readily separated from one another thereby enabling the knife assembly to be easily removed from the bracket member should either of these components require repair or replacement.

As this invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, the present embodiment is therefore illustrative and not restrictive, and since the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims, all changes that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims or that form their functional as well as conjointly cooperative equivalents are therefore intended to be embraced by those claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A flail assembly comprising rotor means, bracket means of generally U-shaped cross-sectional configuration defining a central space between spaced portions thereof, detachable securing means for detachably securing said bracket means to said rotor means, knife means, support means for swingably supporting said knife means from said bracket means, and retainer means comprising a separate rigid member of generally L-shaped cross-sectional configuration disposed within said bracket means for retaining said support means in proper position relative to said bracket means and limiting movement of said support means toward said rotor means, said retainer means also being detachably secured to said rotor means by said detachable securing means.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein one leg portion of the L-shaped retainer means substantially spans said central space defined by said bracket means.

3. A flail assembly comprising rotor means, bracket means, detachable securing means for detachably securing said bracket means to said rotor means, knife means, support means for swingably supporting said knife means from said bracket means, and retainer means for retaining said support means in proper position relative to said bracket means, said retainer means also being detachably secured to said rotor means, said bracket means being of generally U-shaped cross-sectional configuration, said retainer means being secured in place by said detachable securing means and being mounted within the confines of said U-shaped bracket means, said retainer means comprising a rigid plate of generally L-shaped cross-sectional configuration having a long leg and a short leg, said short leg substantially spanning the central space `defined by said U-shaped bracket means, said U-shaped bracket means defining a bight portion, said short leg of the retainer means being spaced from said bight portion sufficiently to allow said support means to swing with respect to said bracket means, but preventing said support means from bein-g improperly displaced with respect to said bracket means.

4. A flail assembly comprising rotor means, bracket means, detachable securing means for detachably securing said bracket means to said rotor means, knife means, support means for swingably supporting said knife means from said bracket means, and retainer means for retaining said support means in proper position relative to said bracket means, said retainer means also being detachably secured to said rotor means, said bracket means being of generally lU-shaped cross-sectional configuration and having a bight portion, said support means comprising a generally ring-shaped member supported by the bight portion of said bracket means, said retainer means being detachably secured to said rotor means by said detachable securing means, said retainer means comprising a rigid plate of generally L-shaped cross-sectional conguration and including a long leg and a short leg, said short leg being spaced from said bight portion suiciently to allow said support means to swing with respect UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,021,661 2/ 1962 Couberly 56-294X 3,043,080 7/ 1962 Mott 56-504X 3,331,195 7/1967 Heth et al. 56-294X 3,417,557 12/1968 Brewer 56-294 3,465,507 9/1969 Fishaw 56-294 LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner to said bracket means for preventing improper displace- 15 L A- OLIFF Assistant Examiner 

